Anigozanthos plant named ‘Rambofling’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Anigozanthos  cultivar named ‘Rambofling’ is disclosed, characterized by large orange flowers, continuous flowering, and short growth habit. The new variety is an  Anigozanthos , normally produced as an outdoor garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species: Anigozanthos hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Rambofling’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Anigozanthos cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor, Ian Angus Stewart, in Kangy Angy, Australia. The objective of the breeding program was to produce new Anigozanthos varieties for ornamental commercial applications. The cross resulting in this new variety was made Aug. 24, 2007.

The seed parent is Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Joey Firework’, unpatented. The pollen parent is the unpatented proprietary variety referred to as Anigozanthos hybrid ‘A06-0218’. The new variety was discovered Aug. 24, 2009 by the inventor in a group of seedlings resulting from the 2007 crossing, in a research greenhouse in Kangy Angy, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was performed by tissue culture. This was first performed at a laboratory in Kangy Angy, Australia during 2009 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type over several successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Rambofling’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Rambofling’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Rambofling’ as a new and distinct Anigozanthos cultivar:

-   -   1. Short plant height.     -   2. Large flowers.     -   3. Orange flowers.     -   4. Early flowering.     -   5. Repeat flowering.

PARENT COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ are similar to plants of the seed parent, Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Joey Firework’ in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ are taller than the seed parent, and produce a different inflorescence configuration. Additionally, plants of the new variety produce a different color orange flower than the seed parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ are similar to plants of the pollen parent; Anigozanthos ‘A06-0218’ in most horticultural characteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ produce orange flowers, whereas the pollen parent produces yellow flowers.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ are comparable to the variety Anigozanthos ‘Bush Ochre’, unpatented. The two Anigozanthos varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety ‘Rambofling’ differs in having shorter and wider flowers than ‘Bush Ochre’.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Rambofling’ can also be compared to the commercial variety Anigozanthos ‘Bush Ember’, unpatented. These varieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics, however, the new variety ‘Rambofling’ differs in having shorter and wider flowers than ‘Bush Ember’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘Rambofling’ grown in a greenhouse, in a 15 cm pot. Age of the plant photographed is approximately 1 year from a rooted plantlet.

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color a close up of a typical bloom of ‘Rambofling’.

The photographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colors may appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart 2001 except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘Rambofling’ plants grown in a greenhouse, in Santa Paula, Calif. The growing temperature ranged from 20° C. to 35° C. during the day and from 17° C. to 23° C. during the night. General light conditions are bright, normal sunlight. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Anigozanthos hybrid ‘Rambofling’.

PROPAGATION

-   Typically propagated by micropropagation tissue culture. A tissue     culture plantlet is typically rooted in 1 to 2 weeks at     approximately 25° C. -   Root description: Root description: Thick, fleshy main roots with     fibrous network of much smaller roots.

PLANT

-   Age of plant described: Approximately 1 year from a rooted cutting. -   Growth habit: Upright fan shaped perennial with basal only     branching. -   Pot size of plant described: Commercial 1 quart size container. -   Height:     -   -   Top of foliar plane.—20 to 30 cm.         -   Top of flowering plane.—60 to 80 cm. -   Plant spread: 40 to 45 cm. -   Growth rate: Moderate.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Basally emerging, irregular rosette. Primarily             fan-shaped.         -   Quantity.—Approximately 25 leaves on a 1 year old plant.         -   Average length.—Approximately 25 cm.         -   Average width.—Approximately 1.8 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Subulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Attachment.—Sessile.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture of top surface.—Pubescent, covered in very short             hirsute hairs, ridged.         -   Texture of lower surface.—Pubescent, covered in very short             hirsute hairs, ridged.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near RHS Green 137B. Young             foliage under side: Near RHS Green 137B. Mature foliage             upper side: Near RHS Green 137B. Mature foliage under side:             Near RHS Green 137B.         -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate. Venation color upper side: Near RHS             Green 137B. Venation color under side: Near RHS Green 137B.         -   Petiole.—Not Present.

FLOWER

-   Natural flowering season: Freely flowering under outdoors growing     conditions with substantially continuous blooming from spring     through autumn. -   Inflorescence and flower type and habit: Large flowers arranged     singly on terminal and axillary racemes. Inflorescence have primary     ramification. Individual flowers are zygomorphic, tubular, with a     curved perianth. -   Inflorescence height: Approximately 18 cm. -   Inflorescence width: Approximately 11 cm. -   Flower longevity on plant: Individual flowers last approximately 30     days. -   Approximate quantity of flowers per plant: About 80 flowers and buds     per plant. Average 12 to 15 flowers per inflorescence. -   Persistent or self-cleaning: Persistent. -   Bud:     -   -   Shape.—Tubular.         -   Length.—About 3.2 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 0.8 cm.         -   Texture.—Pilous.         -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Orange 22A, darker at tip, near             Orange-Red N34A. -   Flower size:     -   -   Diameter.—Approximately 2.0 cm.         -   Length.—Approximately 4.2 cm. -   Petals (unfused floral section):     -   -   Length.—Approximately 1.3 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approxiately 0.8 cm.         -   Quantity.—4 or 5.         -   Texture.—Covered in dense, pilous hairs. Hairs colored near             Orange-Red N34A.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Color.—When opening: Outer, visible surface: Near RHS             Yellow-Orange 20A, strongly flushed Orange-Red N30B. Fully             opened: Outer surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange 20A, strongly             flushed Orange-Red N30B. Inner surface: Near RHS             Yellow-Orange 20B. Fading: Outer surface: Near RHS             Orange-Red N30B. Inner surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange 22A. -   Perianth tube:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 3.4 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 1.2 cm.         -   Texture.—Outer texture highly pubescent, inner texture             glabrous.         -   Color.—When opening: Outer, visible surface: Near RHS             Yellow-Orange 20A, streak of Yellow-Green 144B, strongly             flushed Orange-Red N30B. Fully opened: Outer surface: Near             RHS Yellow-Orange 20A, moderately flushed Orange-Red N30B.             Inner surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange 20B. Fading: Outer             surface: Near RHS Yellow-Orange 17A. Inner surface: Near RHS             Yellow-Orange 22A. -   Floral bracts:     -   -   Quantity.—1 at the base of each flower, or every other             flower on inflorescence.         -   Shape.—Subulate.         -   Tip.—Cirrous.         -   Base.—Clasping.         -   Texture.—Heavily pilous.         -   Length.—Approximately 0.7 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 0.2 cm.         -   Color.—Upper surface: Near RHS RHS Greyed-Orange 176A. Lower             surface: Near RHS Greyed-Orange N172A. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length.—Average 40 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.7 cm.         -   Color.—Near RHS Greyed-Orange 175B.         -   Aspect.—Straight to slightly undulating.         -   Strength.—Very strong.         -   Texture.—Farinose and pilous. -   Pedicels:     -   -   Length.—Average 0.2 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Color.—Near RHS RHS Greyed-Orange 175B.         -   Orientation.—Approximately 45 degrees from peduncle.         -   Strength.—Very strong.         -   Texture.—Pilous. -   Sepals not present. -   Fragrance: None.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

-   Stamens:     -   -   Number: 6.         -   Filament length.—Filaments are mostly fused to petals.             Approximately 0.4 cm, unfused.         -   Filament color.—Near RHS Green-Yellow 1B. -   Anthers:     -   -   Shape.—Ovoid.         -   Length.—Approximately 0.1 cm.         -   Color.—Near RHS RHS Greyed-Orange 175A.         -   Pollen.—Not observed. -   Pistil:     -   -   Number.—1.         -   Length.—Approximately 3 cm.         -   Style.—Length: Approximately 3.2 cm. Color: Near RHS White             155D.         -   Stigma.—Shape: Linear. Length: Approximately 0.1 cm. Color:             Near RHS RHS Greyed-Orange 175C. Ovary Color: RHS             Yellow-Orange 16B.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Seeds and fruits: Not observed to date. -   Disease/pest resistance: Common to cultivar. -   Temperature tolerance: From approximately 0° C. to more than 40° C. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Anigozanthos plant named ‘Rambofling’ as herein illustrated and described. 